June 2013

June 30, 2013

The East Texas Pump Jacks of the Texas Collegiate League had just finished playing a game that lasted over three hours in triple digit heat. Standing outside the home dugout, utility player Joey Armstrong wiped the sweat off his forehead laughing.

“I play college ball in Las Vegas,” Armstrong said. “This is nothing.”

Armstrong grew up in California and developed a love of baseball at an early age playing ever since he could remember with his dad and older brother.

“Growing up, I was always playing with them,” Armstrong said. “My dad was a legion coach back home so that’s what I played since I was in eighth grade all the way through high school.”

In high school, Armstrong garnered many awards including the All-Area Offensive Player of the Year award after posting a .562 batting average with 36 RBIS during his senior year at Lodi High School. Armstrong’s talent drew several college offers before he decided on the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Little did he know that a few months after signing, he would be joined by a familiar face.

“I committed before my brother Patrick. I signed and he was finishing up his last year of junior college at Sacramento City College my senior year,” Armstrong said. “He called the coach and said I don’t need a scholarship. I’ll just walk on. He ended up walking on and making it into the lineup within the first ten games of the year. I grew up playing with him so it’s really cool to play with him at UNLV.”

Armstrong said playing in Las Vegas was definitely different than playing back home.

“People aren’t really in Vegas to watch college sports but I love it. The coaches are great. The fans that we do get do a great job of backing us up so I really enjoy it,” Armstrong said. “Being in Vegas causes some distractions but it fades away and you get used to it being there after awhile.”

The Armstrong brothers put up big numbers in their first season with the Rebels with both ranking in the top five for batting averages with a combined 131 hits and 73 RBIs. Joey wanted to continue building on that momentum by finding a place where he could develop his skills further over the summer.

“One of our assistant coaches (at UNLV) knows pretty much everybody that has anything to do with college baseball so I asked him if he could hook me up with a place to play summer ball,” Armstrong said. “He said how does Texas sound? I said sign me up so it happened really fast.”

Armstrong was assigned to the East Texas Pump Jacks, a Texas Collegiate League team based in Kilgore, Texas, a city known for oil with approximately 13,000 residents. Armstrong said he felt good vibes the minute he got to Drillers Park.

“I’m loving the experience here. It’s a small town. I’m from a small town back home so I like the feeling of it,” Armstrong said. “Everybody knows everybody and it’s really cool.”

One aspect of the collegiate league process that he has enjoyed so far has been his host family.

“My host family is awesome. I’m really lucky to be with them,” Armstrong said. “One of my buddies from last year, Tyler Sullivan from Pacific, and he told my host family to try and get me which was pretty cool. They’ve become like my second family pretty much so I’m really happy.”

While Armstrong has mainly played third base this summer. However, with only one catcher on the team’s roster, he asked to put in some time behind the plate.

“Growing up, I always used to catch but then I got to high school and out catcher was a senior so I started playing in the outfield. When I went to UNLV, I played third base,” Armstrong said. “I came here (East Texas) and said if you need anybody to catch, I’m more than happy to do it for you. Our coach said okay let me talk to your UNLV coach (Tim Chambers) about it. He said he thought it would be a good idea to get some innings behind the plate.”

Although he wants to improve his defense, Armstrong said his main focus for the summer will be quality at-bats which will make all the difference after he returns to UNLV in the fall.

“I’m probably going to be here and play 60 games with probably 200 to 250 at-bats. I don’t want to take any at-bats off,” Armstrong said. “Summer ball is for you to work on stuff and it’s exactly what I want to do. Going back to UNLV with a year of summer ball and 60 games under my belt will be huge to get that experience.”

June 28, 2013

Trenton, New Jersey- For most players, Double-A is the next step on the way to the majors.

For Jon Link, it's a place for rebirth.

The pitcher was signed by the Tigers as a free agent, out of the American Association, for the Wichita Wingnuts. Now playing for the Tigers Double-A Erie Seawolves, of the Eastern League, he's determined, but patient; focused, but connected to his place in the world in a whole new way, which has expanded his perspective.

"I have a baby now. My priorities in life have changed a lot," he said, before a game at Arm and Hammer Park, when the Seawolves visited the Trenton Thunder for a three-game series. "For me, it's about being a great baseball player, but first and foremost, it's about being a better person, and a better father everyday. The maturity aspect has changed a lot for me. My daughter and wife come first."

His arrival in Erie was a special blast-from-the-past for one person.

"It's kind of a funny story," said Erie Seawolves manager Chris Cron. "I used to be with the White Sox, back when Jon was in their organization. So we knew each other. It was nice to see they had the opportunity to pick him up, and I said, 'Heck yeah. If it's the Jon Link I remember, I'd love to have him.' He's done a lot of positive things in the game, and he'd liked to get back there, somehow, some way."

Link's career began with the San Diego Padres in 2005, when they drafted him in the 26th round of the MLB Draft. He spent two years in their system, pitching 121 innings and putting up a combined 2.91 ERA between Low and Advanced-A ball, before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. He was traded again, to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009, and in 2010, he got the major league call and another two-year stint, before he was traded again, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent time in the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins minor leagues, before winding up with the Independent League Wichita Wingnuts, of the American Association to start 2013. He's played at every level of the minor leagues.

The Tigers came calling this year and now, again, at 29, he takes another shot. But it's more than that. He's built a career in baseball. Making it back to the majors is the overall goal, of course, but making a living and supporting his family, and doing what he loves is the driving force.

The indy leagues are humbling. As unaccommodating as minor league life is, independent baseball is even less generous. The pay, the travel, the hotels, the stadiums, often bring very challenging conditions to deal with. But what Link found with the Wingnuts, was a team that served their players in the best possible way.

"In Wichita, they had a great set-up for us. I was one of the older guys on the team, I was a veteran player. That helped. My best friend, Cole Armstrong, was our catcher. That helped. Just a great group of guys that wanted to win baseball games. There was no BS, no extracurriculars. Just baseball. And it was fun."

In those leagues, there can be less structure, perhaps too much freedom. Some guys forget their professionalism and their goals. But it's easy to do. How do you not, when that feels so far from the real thing?

"It's easy to get distracted with some of the playing conditions, some of the travel, and some of the clubhouses. That made it easy to get distracted. But as far as baseball went, the game is the same, the players are the same."

To add to the situation, he was asked to be a starter, after being a closer for six years, and 93 saves in the minors.

"I think it was February, they asked me. So, I had plenty of time to prepare for that in the off-season."

He's made two starts for the Seawolves, going 8 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits, with five strikeouts in the first outing; the second time out, he pitched 7 innings, gave up 2 runs on 10 hits, and struck out four. He was tagged for the loss.

Ohio-born and Virginia-raised, Link's talent was nurtured at Chantilly High School in Chantilly, Virginia., where he was 1st team All-District and All-Region. The Montreal Expos were still in operation, and drafted him in 2002, but he elected to attend Bluefield College and Virginia Commonwealth University. He was 1st team all AAC and named AAC Pitcher of the Year for Bluefield.

He'd been productive and consistent in the minors, but sometimes, it's just not enough. Or the team simply has other plans or needs. In any case, despite not putting roots down with any team for long, he's firmly stayed the course.

"Was I surprised I was [picked up by the Tigers]? Not really. I felt I'd find my way back in."

That's not just confidence talking, but knowing himself. Knowing who and what he is, despite every knock he's taken.

Frisco RoughRiders infielder Alex Buchholz fielded ground balls on a hot Texas day during batting practice. He said he found a way to adapt to the heat for the 2013 season.

“I tried to gain a little weight (in the off-season),” Buchholz said. “It’s so hot down here, I noticed you lose a lot of weight throughout the season so I tried to put on a few extra pounds because by August I’ll still be in good playing shape.”

This is his second season in the Texas Rangers’ farm system and second season starting with the Double-A club. Buchholz was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2008 MLB draft. The Rangers acquired the utility player in the minor league portion of the Rule-5 draft at the 2011 Winter Meetings in Dallas. Buchholz spent the 2012 season in Frisco with a .247 batting average and 41 RBIs. Buchholz played alongside top prospects such as Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar.

“It was a little rough experience for me because I wasn’t playing as much but I learned a lot from those guys,” Buchholz said. “Those guys are really good players and I had the chance to learn from them. You can take a lot from those guys.”

After the 2012 season, Buchholz said he knew he had things to work on but didn’t have any set goals coming into the season. His main concern coming into the 2013 season was just making a team.

“I felt going in that I needed to have a really good spring. I wanted to make a team to be honest,” Buchholz said. “I had a really good spring. It felt good and got me ready for the season.”

Buchholz got to play in several spring training games with several Texas Rangers players. In one game, general manager Jon Daniels complimented Buchholz during a TV broadcast after Buchholz hit a double. Buchholz said it felt great to hear good things from the big league club.

“Every time you get an opportunity to play in one of those games, you try to make the best of it and anytime you can play with the big leaguers, you want to act like you belong,” Buchholz said. “It felt really good that they feel that way about me and I just want to continue that.”

Buchholz was assigned to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders before earning his first ever promotion to the Triple-A Round Rock Express on May 1st. He played in 13 games posting a .311 batting average with two home runs and eight RBIs before being assigned back to Double-A on May 24th. Buchholz said he enjoyed his time in Round Rock and wants to continue to grow as a player to make it to the next level.

“It’s all mental. I just try to take each day and play each day, go hard, control what I can control, and good things are going to happen,” Buchholz said.

June 26, 2013

Baseball is an unpredictable sport where anything can happen. For Texas Rangers’ farmhand Jake Brigham, the past 12 months have been a rollercoaster ride.

Brigham began the 2012 season with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders, as a starting pitcher. He posted a record of five wins and five losses with a 4.28 ERA before a July trade sent him to the Chicago Cubs and brought Geovany Soto to Texas. Brigham got the news in the most unlikely place, the dugout bathroom.

“I was charting during the game and I got a text from Carlos (Olivas, the Frisco RoughRiders athletic trainer) saying come to the dugout so I went down,” Brigham said. “Danny Clark, the pitching coordinator, took me into the bathroom and told me I got traded. It was a crazy couple of days. I had been with the Rangers my whole career.”

Brigham was assigned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. He pitched in two games before an injury flared up ending his season.

“I had a strain in my forearm. I went to Arizona for about a month and a half rehabbing with the Cubs in Mesa,” Brigham said. “After I got healthy, I went home for the off-season.”

This off-season Brigham and his wife Taylor purchased their first house in their home state of Florida and raced to have it decorated and finished before the 2013 season. Brigham was in the middle of home renovations when he got an important call that determined which organization he’d begin the season with.

“I got traded back to the Rangers which was crazy in and of itself,” Brigham said.

Brigham was traded back to the Rangers in exchange for Barret Loux, the 2012 Texas League Pitcher of the Year, and a player to be named later who were both sent to the Cubs. Brigham said he was happy to be back with the organization even if it meant his role would change a bit.

“I was trying to keep training and work on my mentality coming into this season because I knew I was going to be a reliever,” Brigham said. “I have a half-season as a reliever in 2011 in Frisco so I have some experience coming out of the bullpen.”

Brigham said he will have to make some adjustments but thinks he will be successful in this new role.

“The prep as a starter before the game and being able to get ready I two or three minutes and then conditioning my body to go from zero to a hundred right away was a big difference in my training,” Brigham said. “Mentality wise, it will be different to be able to flip a switch while still maintaining a focus during the game by watching hitters and watching guys before me that are pitching in a game.”

While at spring training in Arizona, Brigham also got a big piece of news that would bring another addition to his family.

“My wife Taylor told me in Arizona that she was pregnant and I didn’t believe her. I came back from the field and she told me and showed me the stick and I was like where did you get that,” Brigham said. “I thought it might be a gag type thing. But we were excited when we found out in Arizona and are excited to welcome a little girl to our family.”

With all of the changes in Brigham’s life over the past year, he said he’s excited for the new beginnings and plans on making the most out of the 2013 season.

“My goal is obviously to make the major leagues. Every year you come in and want to end there. However you get there, it’s where you want to be. Coming in this year, I feel like the opportunity is great,” Brigham said. “I’m enjoying it and having a blast and hoping more than anything to just have fun and the rest will take care of itself and just control what I can control and have fun doing it.”

June 21, 2013

Texas- Matt Hicks and Aaron Goldsmith met during the 2010 season while working as broadcasters in the Texas League. Little did they know that three years later, they would be sitting in major league broadcast booths, doing play-by-play for the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, and sharing their first full major league seasons.

Matt Hicks was bitten by the broadcasting bug as a kid in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He remembers the first time he ever did play-by-play during the Super Bowl.

“I invited my friend over to my house and my dad somehow challenged us. I’m pretty sure it was broadcast on CBS. We had a cassette tape recorder and we cut out the rosters (from newspapers),” Hicks said. “Super Bowl VI was between the Cowboys and the Dolphins so neither one of us had a real connection to either of those teams besides disliking them. We turned the sound down on the TV and sat down at the coffee table with the roster and did play-by-play into a cassette recorder. To this day, I still have those tapes.”

Hicks attended the University of Maryland and landed a job at the campus radio station during his freshman year. His main career goal was to land a broadcasting job in the National Hockey League instead of Major League Baseball. His job with the radio station led to a unique opportunity covering the Washington Capitals and meeting broadcaster Ron Weber.

“I was actually a real fan of the Capitals from about their second year in 1975. I really enjoyed listening to him doing hockey,” Hicks said. “I had the chance to meet Ron covering the Capitals for the radio station and over the years sat in and did stats for him.”

When Weber decided to retire, Hicks was hoping to get his dream NHL job but decided to take a job with the newly founded Carolina League Frederick Keys, the Class-A Orioles affiliate, instead.

“It wasn’t full-time working for the club. The radio stations did the hiring and I got $50 a game and I parlayed that into a full-time job because the Director of Marketing at Mount St. Mary’s College heard my baseball play-by-play and thought ‘I want to get that guy to call men’s basketball,’” Hicks said. “He contacted the radio station and they put together a package for Mount St. Mary’s so I became full-time at the radio station.”

After covering the Keys for six seasons, a change in radio station management led to Hicks coming to Texas.

“Everybody that was an employee at the Frederick radio station had been fired because the radio station was a radio station owned by two men in their 70s that ran an AM and PM station. They sold the stations to this conglomerate in D.C.,” Hicks said. “I got in from a road trip with Mount St. Mary’s, went to the radio station and was told I was fired and I had lost my benefits. So whenever I got the El Paso job, I said I guess I need to take that job. That was my first venture away from the east coast.”

Hicks joined the El Paso Diablos, the then Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and later the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he was the primary play-by-play guy from 1995 to 2004. At the end of the 2004 season, he was hired to become the voice of the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros where he remained before landing the MLB job in the middle of the 2012 season. Hicks said there are several moments that stand out to him from his time with the Hooks.

“Winning the championship in Corpus in 2006 was a terrific memory. The game that we won the championship series was probably still to this day the best single game I’ve called not because of what I did but because of the game,” Hicks said. “There were so many turns and twists. It was exhausting for everyone when the game ended five minutes after midnight. Just winning the game the way we did was just let’s say if that game had been a World Series game, we would still be talking about it as the game of all games.”

Hicks also holds the special distinction of having a league operate under schedules he created and proposed.

“The Texas League operated in 2005 and 2006, the first two years that I was here in Corpus Christi, with a schedule that I devised. I came into the league in 1995 and thought there’s got to be a better way to play 140 games in this league and what we’re doing now,” Hicks said. “I started tinkering with schedules somewhere around 1998 and eventually my first schedule got thrown up in front of the league and got put down. I think it was in the middle of the summer of the 2004 season that the league adopted my proposal for 2005 and 2006.”

It was during the 2010 season that Matt Hicks met Aaron Goldsmith, the broadcaster for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. The 2010 season was Goldsmith’s third season in baseball and, truthfully, he kind of stumbled in that direction.

“I was about 45 days away from graduating college and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as far as a career after school,” Goldsmith said. “I woke up one morning and thought it would be really great to get paid to talk about sports on the radio.”

Goldsmith’s began his baseball career in 2007 with the Gateway Grizzlies, an independent league team. In 2008, he was the broadcaster for the Bourne Braves, a collegiate summer league team. In 2009, he was the number two broadcaster for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. To help pay bills, he took a landscaping job during the season. He joined the Frisco RoughRiders in 2010 and met Hicks that season.

“He and I formed a pretty quick friendship and by the time I left the league at the end of 2011, he was one of my closest friends in the Texas League,” Goldsmith said.
“He and I got along as people pretty easily but it was also great because he’s been doing this for so long, broadcasting that is, and is so talented that he was somebody that I really felt comfortable asking questions to and seeing how he would handle different situations if something would come up recently on the air. Hicksie was somebody who I really had respect for not only as a person but also what he was able to do on air.”

After 2011, Goldsmith got the call to join the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox as one of their radio broadcasters. He said he remembers Hicks calling wishing him well.

“He was really excited for me. He was thrilled that I had a chance to come out East and get back in the Red Sox system,” Goldsmith said. “I had previously been with their Double-A club in Portland and little did we know, that we would be not only in the same league but in the same division a year or two later.”

Hicks was the first to get the call in the middle of the 2012 season after Dave Barnett had a lapse on-air. Barnett made several references to “fifth base” among other confusing references. Due to health concerns, Barnett announced he would be leaving the broadcasting booth. This meant Steve Busby would join Tom Grieve in the TV broadcasting booth leaving a spot open alongside Eric Nadel for a radio broadcaster. That spot went to Hicks and Goldsmith said he was very excited for him despite the circumstances.
“Well, obviously the situation itself is disappointing. You never want to see something like that happen but as far as the silver lining comes out of it, I can remember telling my wife just how thrilled I was for Hicksie,” Goldsmith said. “There are some guys in the minors who you wonder ‘why is this guy still here’ and Hicksie is one of them. Hicksie just needed the opportunity and once he was able to put that big league headset on, everybody would know really quickly that he belongs in the major leagues and I don’t think Hicksie has done anything to prove that theory wrong.”

Later in the season, Hicks and Goldsmith were able to reunite.

“When the Rangers played in Boston later in the year, while we were there Pawtucket had an off day and Aaron took that off day with his wife to come up to Fenway and he was excited to see me,” Hicks said. “We took pictures together. We only had a short amount of time to talk before the game before we got working but it was really great to see him and I appreciated the effort.”

After the 2012 season ended, Goldsmith got a phone call that would put him in not only the same league as Hicks, but the same division.

“I applied for the Mariners gig a month and a half or two after our season was over with. It was obviously the best phone call of my life,” Goldsmith said. “I was at McCoy ballpark and they called around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon and I can remember having to sit down on the ground after they gave me the news because at that point it had been some time since my in-person interview and of course, my head started to play mind games. I kind of began to effectively psyche myself out of thinking I had a chance of getting the job. They interviewed four candidates and I knew they had their pick of the litter. They could have whoever they wanted and it became pretty tough after awhile to stay optimistic.”

Hicks was one of the first people to call Goldsmith and said he couldn’t be happier for him.

“I think in the short amount of time he’s risen through the ranks,” Hicks said. “He’s a hard worker and grinds it out so I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

Both said they're looking forward to learning a lot this season and that despite their team rivalries in the American League West division, their friendship will remain intact.

June 18, 2013

But this time, he was aware something more was brewing. The Mets were closing in, and the history was rich. But he still didn't know for sure. All he knew, was this was it. Where would his professional baseball career begin?

The Mets made their selection, taking Mazzilli as the 116th pick overall, in the 4th round of the June Major League Baseball Draft.

The experience of the MLB Draft has gotten much bigger, with more attention paid due to social media and the MLB Network. But it is still a private, singular experience for any player. And it is nerve-racking.

"It was more anxiety, than excitement," said Mazzilli, before taking the field for the first time Monday with the Brooklyn Cyclones, in Staten Island Yankees home opener. "Last year, I went through it all. I knew what to expect. I just wanted it to be over this year and get it going."

Mazzilli joins the short-season New York Penn League, where many just-drafted college players go to begin their pro-careers. It gives them a chance to experience a larger amount of work, in a small amount of time, to test the waters, and get acclimated to the temperature.

In his debut, the second baseman went 2-4, displaying some of the skills that he'd become known for at the University of Connecticut with the Huskies, and in the Cape Cod Baseball League, with the Bourne Braves. Originally drafted by the Twins in 2012, he oppted not to sign, returning for his senior year at UConn. He helped guide the team to the NCAA Regionals, hitting a team best .354 with sixteen doubles, 51 RBI, scored 50 runs and stole 29 bases in 33 attempts.

"It was an unbelievable way to end a four-year career at my school. Going out on top with the Big East title as a senior, then going to the regionals, we made a run at the end. Our season wasn't what we wanted it to be in the middle of it. We were trying to figure out who we were. And at the end we started coming together and clicked. We found out we could be a good team, if we stuck together."

There was a sense that things were possible, but that there had to be more accountability, more belief in their ability to succeed. Mazzilli didn't mind stepping up, both verbally and on the field. Belief wasn't enough to get them somewhere, but it helped.

"I tried to take that leadership role in getting everyone to be kind of unselfish. Doing things for us, rather than me. And towards the end, actions spoke louder than words. I was trying to back up what I preached. I think at the end what clicked, was playing one through nine, and trusting the guy behind you or in front of you. Trying to pass it on that whether it be in the lineup, or on the field, you make a good play, it's contagious. And confidence is contagious. And then you keep everybody up. That's the most dangerous team."

Despite losing 3-1 to Virginia Tech in an elimination game, that belief and drive took over, and the overall experience was meaningful.

"[Coach Jim Penders] was awesome to play for. And there was a point at the end, players, coaches, all of us were thinking the same thing, 'Why not us?' I'm never going to forget that Huskies team and what we accomplished."

Mazzilli went straight from that into the frenzy of the draft, but the frenzy got bigger when the Mets were the taker. His father, Lee Mazzilli, had played for the Mets. No, that's not enough of an explanation. His father Lee Mazzilli was part of the 1986 World Series winning Mes team, a team that went down in history as much for their personalities and controversies, as for being the guys that beat the Red Sox in mythical proportions.

The younger Mazzilli understood the magnitude of the Mets drafting him, but there was more to it than that.

"I'm so happy the Mets picked me. I just feel so grateful and...what's the word? Appreciative. Because they wanted to make sure I could handle playing for them, after my dad played for them in the past. They looked into that more, and that made me feel they cared about me as a person and they want me to be successful."

Perhaps being the son of a former major leaguer, he had no illusions about the reality of baseball. Teams can pick you, and you can get lost over time. He was aware of how important the team's level of commitment was.

"The biggest thing was wanting to go to a team that wanted me, and was trying to push for me. Teams will pick any guy and pay him, you know? That's how it works, it's a business. I was just hoping for something different. I wanted a team that was excited to have me, and would give me opportunities to fail, and go somewhere where a team wants to work with me, work on my defense, let me get better, and help me get better."

Switching gears from college ball to the pros is taking a minute. He's already getting a lesson in how to utilize his energy properly.

"I'm go, go, go right now," he said, then laughed. "So I have to ease into it professionally. I'm so used to college. You can pitch and choose your reps. So I'm getting used to toning it down a little bit," he said.

Rich Donnelly returned for 2013 to manage the Cyclones, and has his own history with the senior Mazzilli, having been a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he played for them. Donnelly has already given the younger Mazzilli a few lessons, with a touch of humor.

"He's helping me with the signs and basic stuff. As far as preparation, I think that's my job to get adjusted to. Rich coached my dad and I know he's got an eye out for me. He's been helping me out at second base. He's slowing me down. The other day, at the end of practice, I'm still standing there waiting for him to say something. And he said, 'What do you want? And he said, 'This ain't high school, get outta here.' And, he patted me on the back and laughed. I liked that."

His father's shadow is not a burden for his son. He embraces the history, and hasn't seemed to burn out on the extra attention paid to him. Even if you don't ask him about his dad, what he learned from him is very present. Case in point, when asked about debuting in the lineup in the two-hole, and if where he hits matters, he answered quickly.

"My dad always told me, if you're in the lineup it's better than being on the bench. If you're in there, you have a chance to do something whether you're batting first or ninth."

The confidence and humility that Mazzilli displays translates as a perfect mix in an athlete. It's that balance some struggle to find. Not for him. When asked what he wants to improve, he didn't hesitate.

"My all-around game. No one's perfect. I think I want to focus a little more than most things on my double-play footwork at second base. And then, everything else. It's different in pro-ball. You gotta get outta there quickly. In college, they can't slide into you. Now, it's a whole different ballgame."

As for the leadership role that he grew to be comfortable with in those last weeks playing with the Huskies, led by team Captain Billy Ferriter, it's his humility that leads him.

"I think that'll come in time. I'm just going to be myself and work hard and be positive, and if that leadership comes by my actions, great. But I'm not going to try to be that. I'll go about my business and be a good teammate."

The Cyclones open their season at home Tuesday night, at 7 PM, against the Staten Island Yankees.

June 17, 2013

Staten Island, New York- The game speeds up the higher the level in baseball, but how fast must it feel when you’ve been drafted by a big league team, namely the Yankees, and ten days later you’re on a professional roster?

In Short-Season Class-A ball, which begins it’s schedule in June, that’s the operation. You’re drafted, and, in many cases, you’re on a ballfield less than two weeks later. Then the real baseball begins. The dream becomes a job.

While a few of this year’s Staten Island Yankees (of the New York Penn League) are returning for a second stint, most are new. And the experience is a mix of emotions. There’s anticipation and awe, but they know enough not to be overly distracted by anything but their desire to win. And that the dream is now a job.

“I was just really excited to come down here,” said 6th round pick, shortstop John Murphy. “The excitement from the draft kind of calmed down and it’s just time to play.”

SI begins their season on June 17th, and media day was held two days earlier to familiarize and prepare players for what lies ahead.

“My time was limited a little last year,” said pitcher Rookie Davis, after pitching 17 innings in the Gulf Coast League in 2012. “I’m ready for this now. We did a good job in the off-season, getting the treatment I needed. I was a hundred percent down in Spring Training.”

Davis pitched 17 innings, but did a fine job in that small amount of work. He went 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA, and allowed just 4 walks. He did give up 9 runs, and seventeen hits in 7 games started, but also struck out seventeen.

“I have a better understanding this year. It’s tough sometimes,” Davis said. “Physically you go through times you don’t feel great, and you get run down, so you have to know when to back off a little bit. But for the most part, I feel really good. I’m better prepared this year, and was able to hit the ground running [this spring].”

Also coming from the GCL, is first baseman Austin ‘Bubba’ Jones. The first baseman has been grinding his way to get here, and having to exhibit exceptional patience.

“It's been a lot of waiting,” said the 2011 seventh rounder. “I always thought I had a pretty decent mental game, and it was tough last year. I had a good June and I expected things. It got to me. But toward the end of the year, I learned how to calm down and play it day by day.”

Jones is also very familiar with the team's second-year manager, Justin Pope, after working together in Florida.

“[It's] absolutely more comfortable with him here. Absolutely. Great guy, great coach. He's actually my favorite coach. In instructs, he was my first base coach and I hung out with him for a whole month.”

Jones is also ready for what could become many of these players future: the New York baseball rivalry. The Mets-Yankees rivarly is talked about and celebrated even at the lower levels of the game, part preparation, part fun. If there's something more to play for than just 'getting your work in', then why not?

“I've never played for more than fifty people,” Jones said. “It could be crazy.” It's also Jones first time in New York. “I've never been anywhere Northeast. I guess this is a good place to start.”

While development is the point of that level of baseball, winning is still fuel. And Davis sums it up, when asked what his overall goal is this year.

“To win the New York Penn League Championship.”Developing is everything in New York Penn, but winning is never far from their minds.

June 15, 2013

Justin Pope is as much a representative of Yankees baseball as many players on the big league club.

His blood is Yankees blue, having spent his entire playing, coaching, and managing career in the Yankees organization. This year marks his second stint as the manager of the Class-A short season Staten Island Yankees.

Players included on his roster are first rounders outfielder Aaron Judge and third baseman Eric Jagiello, and returning players such as pitcher Andrew Benak. The 2012 team finished 30-45.

The team opens their season Monday night against the top rival Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets affiliate),and Media Day was held Saturday to get the team familiar with reporters, meet some fans, and play a simulated game.

Here is what Pope said about his 2013 players, his experiences, and what he plans on doing differently:

"Our job is to get these guys better. Last year we didn't really see that twenty games of the season."

"I don't know that I've changed my approach, but I think it's going to be easier to maybe think ahead in the game to be a couple innings ahead. And, too, I think I'll be a little more aggressive this year. I was really conservative. Maybe a little scared to put some stuff on. I made a conscious effort down in extended [Spring Training] to be more aggressive."

"Some of these guys I haven't seen, today with a couple of them will be the first time I'm seeing them swing a bat. So, it's exciting to see these guys get out here and start their professional careers."

"Last year, we dug ourselves in such a deep hole, we couldn't get out of it."

"I'm going to talk to some of the guys that were here last year. It's probably my fault. Team chemistry wasn't all that good last year. I think it's something that needs to be better this year. Some of these college guys they come here, and they've never been around Latin players, and vice versa. That's one thing that we need to better: everybody needs to get along. Don't be selfish. Be good teammates to each other. That's one thing I'm not going to tolerate this year, is garbage going on."

"It wasn't a big issue [team not getting along], but we need to teach these guys how to be teammates. Because when they get to Double-A and Triple-A, Tony Franklin [Double-A Trenton Thunder manager] and Dave Miley {Triple-A SWB Railriders manager], they don't want to be seeing that. When you get there, it's about winning ballgames. Here it's about developing. Not just on the baseball field, but in the clubhouse."

"I think so. Definitely," he said, when asked if he was taking more of a cue from Franklin. "I was talking to Tony and to Dave at Spring Training, about nipping things in the bud here, before they get up there, so they can work on different things that gets them to the big leagues, rather than the mental stage."

"[Shortstop] John Murphy is the one guy that's been on my field everyday down in Tampa. He's been good. He looks like he's a leader out there. He looks like he makes the routine play. He puts good AB's together. He can run, so he can do some damage on the basepaths."

"I do know [who the opening day starter is], but I don't know if I can say just yet. It'll probably two or three guys, to help get their innings up."

June 06, 2013

In the 2003 MLB Draft, the Mets selected outfielder Lastings Milledge in the first round (12th overall).

Milledge’s issues were well-known. There were sexual assault accusations. That history kept him from being drafted before the Mets got him, and, later, a second ‘sexual misconduct’ accusation slowed negotiations with the Mets. The team conducted an investigation and decided that, whatever did or didn’t happen, they weren’t dissuaded from signing the eighteen year old.

When I mentioned Milledge to a scout at a minor league game a few years ago, he was quiet for a moment, then talked about wanting to draft him. But the reason the team he worked for passed, was simple.

“He doesn’t have the emotional intelligence to handle playing the game,” he said.

He went on to explain that Milledge’s father was asked to travel with the team, following the bus wherever it went. This was a hopeful action. Perhaps he would handle any difficulties better, if his dad was there to guide him along. While Milledge went on to have some success with the Mets, baseball fans, the media, his teammates, and manager were angered when he high-fived Mets fans after hitting a home run, not long after making his major league debut.

Ultimately, it’s not the worst thing to be young and excited, and celebrate with fans. But certain conduct is unacceptable in the unwritten code of baseball. Milledge, now playing for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Nippon League, impressed with his growth as a player and a person. But his struggles to handle himself emotionally, caused problems that began long before he played a day professionally.

In the process of scouting a player, there’s no stone unturned. The “investigation” really begins when scouts are traveling around, seeing kids in the early stages of growth. It’s a long, complex process, requiring hours and days on end of observation. What they see on the field and what they find out about a player off it, all matters.

The process has improved because it had to.

“[It is] much more thorough today,” said a major league scout hours before the 2013 MLB Draft. “We're getting information on these guys that we didn't used to have. Back in the 1980's and 90's. We didn't do hardly much testing at all. The MLB Scouting Bureau would go in and interview a player. Do a small test, and a home interivew with him and the parents, and then send a scout out to kind of walk in the room and give you the rundown. He might say, 'Oh, yeah, he's a great guy, and works hard.' That kind of goody-two shoes talk. Nowadays, we are very, very aware.”

The scout recalled one player that had glaring problems early in life, and knew that those problems could continue. And they did.

“One of the first guys I remember having emotional issues, even in high school, was Milton Bradley. He was a train wreck. He was a loose cannon back then. He was crazy.” he said. “I was with [different team] then, and we didn't take him. But there was no social media. Today, it's easy to stay on top of them.”

A prime example of social media directly impacting a player with a major league team, occurred last week, when Rays prospect Josh Sale was released after making troubling comments about a trip to a strip club on his Facebook account. The team issued a statement saying that his conduct was ''detrimental to the organization.”

Sale, already serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for amphetamines, was clearly a person with questionable ethics and maturity. But it's unclear how much of that the Rays were aware of upon drafting him. It's hard to imagine they had no idea going in.

Today there's an intensely focused effort to see what players are made of. And what they might make of themselves when under the lights of a 162-game major league schedule.

“We have, I don't know if you would call it our psychologist, or whatever, but it's what's called a mental skills coach. He meets with players before the draft. I think it's very true [that sometimes it's maturity]. Especially coming out of high school. They're used to being the big star, and then joining pro ball, he's just another guy. It's a big adjustment.”

Over the past few years, clinical depression has been a topic of baseball conversation with Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke coming forward with his struggles. The public chimed in with all sorts of opinions. Some made it sound as if Greinke would take the field and have an emotional meltdown if he threw a bad pitch, or be unable to handle a single ounce of pressure. But while that kind of panic was overly dramatic, and an innacurate perception of depression, the scout said that scouting a player with those issues would be difficult.

“I would have to say yes, it would make a difference for me. Especially with baseball, gosh, they have so much downtime. Some guys are waiting for their one at-bat, or they're sitting in the bullpen waiting for their chance. If someone is lacking self-confidence and dealing with depression, yeah, I would be afraid of that.”

While that might not seem altogther fair, teams are making an investment. Baseball is a long, long season of extreme highs and lows. The development process alone can take years, and the expereiences can cause even the best players to falter. Advanced stats have improved and enhanced understanding of the game. It makes sense that an advanced psychological method would be used to decide not who will throw or hit well, but who will be able to handle when they don't. And handle all that comes with playing professional baseball.

New York, New York- The calls didn't come for top New York high school pitcher Andrew Zapata, but he didn't let that get him down.

He's ready to show scouts and teams over the next few years, that they should call.

The righty is committed to the University of Connecticut, and is currently pitching for the Atlantic Collegiate Summer League, with the Staten Island Tide. But being part of a summer league is also part of the larger plan. The experience with the Tide is to help prepare to pitch for the Huskies.

For all that he was able to accomplish as a senior, the Poly Prep grad may not be drafted today. But he's prepared for that, too.

"I haven't heard anything and, yeah, it's been disappointing. It's been in the back of my mind. If I'm drafted, awesome. If not, I'm happy to go to college, and get looked at again in a few years," he said early Thursday. It was the same excited voice in January, when he spoke about this very day. Nothing much seems to have changed. He's looking ahead. A good sign.

Zapta's begun the season with the Tide with one tough start, pitching 4 innings and giving up 4 earned runs on 8 hits. But he also struck out nine batters, and allowed just two walks. Probably a perfect example of what he's capable of, and what he's in the early stages of developing.

"I located my fastball this season [in high school]. I had one or two rough outings, but for the most part, hit my spots. Off-speed needs some work. Sometimes I'm spot on, and sometimes I'm all over the place."

He joined the team coming off of Poly Prep's 7th consecutive Ivy Prep League Crown, but in his semi-finals performance, despite pitching a 2-0 shutout, he was displeased.

"I felt terrible the whole game. I just kept thinking to myself, that it was my last game as a high school pitcher and I had to bear down and focus. In the end, it was a great way to end my high school years."

And now the real tests begin. College pitching isn't professional baseball, but it is a tremendous challenge.

"Pitching in summer ball was to really give me a jump start. It's a big jump from high school baseball to college baseball. This is to get me ready for the competition, to help me pitch longer, and to help me be more careful."

His revere for the Uconn program, and for Head Coach Jim Penders, fuels him with confidence. The program has produced some players this year that are on the draft boards, including LJ Mazzilli. Not to mention several players that have been drafted by major league teams in the past few years.

There's a sense that whatever isn't happening on draft day in 2013, doesn't matter, because what lies ahead will lead him where he wants to be.

"Coach Penders has done a remarkable job developing players that have gone on to be drafted. Him and the staff will go above and beyond to help you get there, and I'm excited for that."